Of Stardust And Wishes
by Issue No 2708786
Summary: Be careful of what you wish for, as Luffy founds this out.


In the centre of the deep, dark and dense jungle grew many large thick trees much bigger than the ones on the edges of the jungle, but one ancient looking tree was thicker and taller; within the monstrous branches were planks of wood nailed into them, and upon these planks a house was build.

Inside this structure a ten year old boy lay on his stomach, in front of his face was a open book with messy handwriting written on the pages.

Ace was teaching Luffy to read, write and spell with the little knowledge Sabo had first taught him.

Both boys view this as a gift from Sabo, and Ace wanted to continue on where the fallen brother had left off with Luffy; Luffy was more than willing to do so. Another reason Ace thought it best for Luffy to learn about the world about them, he knew that reading would be a big help in the future.

After all how else would he know what the world was saying about him when he became a pirate, newspapers always wrote a lot on what the marines were up to.

Ace once had a great temper but over the past few months quickly grown to have a lot of patience with the younger he now calls brother; the lessons with Makino had slowly eyed his eyes to a lot of things. The older made work practices for him spending hours preparing for lessons that Luffy could grasp.

Illustrations worked best, having pictures of words and other visual diagrams worked wonders on Luffy. And now Luffy knew the basic he could work happily while Ace was away.

Once Luffy was sorted, Ace himself thought it best to learn more too, since he was going to leave home at seventeen; he began getting lessons on map reading and log post in the city. He planned to show Luffy the basics later.

Ace proved to be very smart, quickly moving onto lessons meant for college student then for thirteen years old.

Sighing loudly the young boy pushes his book away from himself and quickly jumped to his feet; it was boring without Ace around, but his older brother had left for the whole day, continuing his own lessons for the future.

Luffy glances outside, the skies were clear perfect day to be out. He blinked and gazes over at the exit, then made his way over to it, he turns his back to the opening as he placing his feet on the rope ladder that was there.

This place had not been lived in since Sabo died, now they used it for studying or playing when it was raining outside. Sometimes Luffy came here just to have a cry, he did not want Ace to see him.

"Treasure Hunting!" Luffy shouts out as he hurried down the rope ladder, on touching the forest's ground he sped off towards Grey Terminal, and to the rubbish heaps. At Grey Terminal's edge he leaps on top of a broken wooden shed.

His hunt had begun.

Even knowing how strong Luffy was, Ace did not want his little brother coming there on his own any more. He told Luffy countless times to stay away, until he was with him.

But Luffy loved looking for hidden things, the stuff some people threw away were great!

Luffy paused suddenly, he spotted something that looked like a window; he could be not sure, it was completely covered in junk. Rushing over he glances down through the window, rays of sunlight spilled through the darkness that was inside, he could see how far it went down. One thing he could tell was, the window lead somewhere.

Taking a deep breathe, Luffy crawls through the broken window; slowly and carefully he lowers himself down and down. Finally he reaches the end, but there was a big drop. He looks down then lets go, landing safely on a pile of rubbish. He takes in the surrounding area; it looked to be a galley of a ship.

Luffy blinks against the darkness in the galley like room, there was pockets of light coming through different area from above, giving him limited light.

Luffy blinked and blinked, soon his eyes could make out some things in this darkness.

He moved towards the biggest beam of light that managed to get through, it lit up a large pile of rubbish there; on the very top was a upside down three legged table being, that was raised higher by some metal scraps.

It was not the table that caused the young boy to stop and stare. Upon this table was a golden jar, glittering in the light.

Grinning like mad, Luffy rushes forward and began to climb the pile, he look around the metal pile that held the table higher, but could not find anyway to get up. He hops up and down on the spot and was able to see over the table. Even jumping was too far out of his reach but that was on problem for him; with a big jump and one rubbery jerk forward with his arms, he manages to get hold of the jar and bring it to him.

He held the jar in both hands, just looking it over for a moment. "So shiny." He breathes out and glances around seeing where it could put it. Then he spotted a long wooden board below him. Jumping from pile to pile, he made his way down and landed on the board. He quickly sat crossed legged, and tries to open the jar.

On opening it, he poured its contents on the board. Golden dust spilled out; frowning Luffy drops the jar beside him, and ran his hands through it. The golden dust feels like sand, but it was very very cold to the touch

The smell of roses and jasmine hit his nose, and he sneezed loudly causing some of it to fly and float gently down.

"Stardust!" Luffy cries out in joy, he laughed in delight as he kept running his hands over and through it, "A star must have fallen and someone crushed it!"

Suddenly the dust begins to glow, it got brighter and brighter until Luffy was forced to close his eyes. When he opens them, a pale green woman was kneeing in front of him, her pink hair floated around in the air like it was under water.

"Master I will grant you three wishes!" She said, her voice was sweet and beautiful any man or even child would fall love with such a tone, as many had before now. Slowly she raises her head, her dull red eyes bore into blank black ones.

"_Aaaahhhh_!" Luffy cries out as he jumped to his feet, and glaring at the strange woman. "Where my stardust?"

"My Master..." The woman said taken back, as she blinked. "I am the 'stardust' as you put it."

"_Ehhhh!?_" Luffy said loudly, with his mouth dropping slightly, "That's _soooo_ boring! Where's the fun in _you_~" He finishes with his finger rudely pointing at her, his lips pouted together in annoyance.

It was the woman's turn for her mouth to part; no man, woman or child had ever acted this way to her arrival before, normally would fall in love and asked her to stay by their side until their dying day or demand their wishes and forced her to be their slave into the time came when she would leave.

"Master what is your name?" She asked giving her best loving smile. 'This should melt your heart child.' She thought with a giggle, knowing well her own beauty.

"Rude much?" Luffy said as he stuck his pinky up his nose.

"W-what?" The woman asked trying not to let the shock overcome her.

"My brother said: 'If you want to ask someone's name, start a introducing with your own name.'" Luffy said as if proud he remembered, "Anyone randomly asking for someone's name and not giving their own is just plain _rude_!"

"Forgive me Master," The woman says with a small unsure laugh, "My name is-"

"I'm Luffy! Who the hell are you?" Luffy cuts her off, causing the woman's eye to twitch.

"Well...my name is of no concern, as my former Master call me whatever they choose," The woman said trying to keep her cool with the child, 'Just a child. Just a child. He knows no better.' The woman repeated in her mind, "So please, Master call me whatever you see fit."

"Then I'll call you Master." Luffy said with a grin, looking please by his choice.

"Sorry...but what?" The woman said blinking at him, she watched him for a moment to see if he was serious, "I can not be called Master by you, only I can call _you_ Master."

"My name is Luffy not Master." Luffy says giving her a look that clearly said; 'are you an idiot', "Seeing as all you know to say is 'Master this' and 'Master that', Master should be your name." Luffy finished his little speech with a firm nod.

'Master' frowns at her new Master, who was becoming more and more of a handful, she could only hope that he would use all his wishes in one go, like some had done in the past.

"What are your wishes _Luffy_." 'Master' said maintaining her smile.

"I have lots and lots!" Luffy cried out with a laugh, he raised his arms in the air to show the many wishes he had.

"Please tell me three of them." 'Master' says once again smiling, knowing this would be over soon.

"I can't tell you that." Luffy told her, his face suddenly going blank.

"Why not?" 'Master' asked quickly panic starting to settle in, as the thought of being here for years with the maddening child.

"They might not come true if I told you them." Luffy answers her, and at his words she fall over in surprise; catching herself as took hold of his shoulder and stared at him right in the face, her lovely smile had become crocked.

"I am telling you that I can-" 'Master' began, but she could not finish.

"You're ugly." Luffy said with a laugh as he got a close up look of the twisted version of the lovely smile. 'Master' turned to stone by his words, never in all her years had someone said that to her. "And you're boring. I'm bored. I'm off to play." Luffy pushed away from the unmoving woman and started for the exit.

"WAIT!" 'Master' calls out loudly, making Luffy stop and glance over his shoulder, "I am saying I can give you anything. I can made all your hopes and dreams come true. Everything you wish for-" 'Master' halted her words, and a slow smile came upon her lips, the boy was listening carefully to what she said. "All you have to say is; 'I wish'... then state your desire."

"Everything?" Luffy asks slowly as he moves toward her, his beloved straw-hat hid his eyes from view. "Like if I wanted to be the Pirate King, you could made my dream come true."

"Yes. But there are three rules: One; I can not bring people back from the dead. Two; I can not kill anyone. Three; I can not made people fall in love." 'Master' said quickly with a small nod, smiling brightly happy that the boy was getting it at last. "Just say 'I wish' and it can be done. Is it not great! Pirate King? Wonderful, soon you will rule the seas!"

"Oi! Are you mocking me?" Luffy asks darkly lifting up his hat slightly and showing how mad he was, "How is that a good thing?"

"Huh?" 'Master' managed to get out as she stared at the angry child. "But you said you wanted-"

"Yeah. I want to become Pirate King." Luffy said as he continued to glare at the woman in front of him, "But that title would be meaningless if I was just handed it by you." He screams out, causing her to lean back, "I want to become Pirate King by my own hands, with my own power. Don't think I'll be happy with that!"

"But without my power," 'Master' says softy looking in shock at the boy in the straw-hat, "Your dream is unreachable."

"THEN I WILL JUST KEEP REACHING AND REACHING UNTIL I GRAB HOLD OF IT!" Luffy screamed as loud as he could, and raised both arms into the air; his arms stretched and stretched crashing into the ceiling of the strange ship like room. The woman mouth completely dropped at the sight. "And once I got hold, I'll never let go of this, no _my,_ dream." Luffy finished a little breathless.

Arms returned to his side, slapping back into shape. The ceiling above began to fall, brining with it heavy junk and rubbish. They were about to be crushed!

Luffy blinked.

And he was standing in his _tree house_, he blinked and blinked again. Slowly he looked around and there sat a pale green woman, holding her hand over her heart.

"I can not leave," 'Master' said not looking at the boy, "Until you say 'I wish' and ask for something three times, I can not leave your side. Is there anything you want, is there anything I can gave you to help you with your dream." She placed a hand over her mouth, "You are a smart little man, surely you can think of something like that."

Luffy stares and stares, his lips frowning down as he thought all something.

"I know!" Luffy said suddenly happy, as if he had not been screaming wildly a few seconds ago, he slammed his fist into his palm, "Is there a way I can find people who can be on my crew. I want them to have dreams as big as mine."

'I got you now.' 'Master' thought as she raised her head up and smile gently at him. "Say 'I wish' remember? And what kind of people, other then having big dreams."

"mmmmm..." Luffy hums aloud thinking once more, "A musician is the most important person of a pirate crew, a person of can fix the ship, a historian is a must," 'Master' frowned in confusion at 'historian', why would you want to. "A doctor also needs to be there, oh oh oh a cook! a cook!" Luffy lips pushed together as he thought long and hard, "I remember Sabo saying something about a cook, _and_ someone can a fire cannons real good, Ace was talking about map reading and that, so someone else can do that, and a swordsman, they just too cool not to have...I want about fourteen people on my ship...and...will..."

"Say I wish...I wish...but.."'Master' says while laughing out loud, everything he said she found highly amusing, "How are you going to roll that into three wishes?"

"I wish..." Luffy grinned, staring at her the strange woman, "...that I had something that would lead me to those who's dreams are as strong as mine, and who I can proudly call them my comrade and who would willing to be with me always..." Suddenly Luffy's grin faded as notices, "Wait! Wait! If I had something like that it would that all the fun out-"

"You are too late!" 'Master' laughed this time a little more evilly, "Here is your first wish!"

"Wait! I said wait!" Luffy screamesas the woman's body and hair began glowing, "Ah! You tricked me!" Luffy covers his eyes as the light got to much for him.

Blinking he opens his eyes, and looked around his house tree. He titled his head to one side, nothing had changed, there was not anything that could lead him to comrades. He glances towards the woman, and watched as she continued to smile at him. 'Master' then pointed to his left hand.

Luffy bought his left hand up, and saw that on his pinky was many treads of different coloured strings. Deep green, bright orange, earthy brown, pale yellow, soft pink, rich purple, light blue, pure black, dark blue, glowing red, and misty grey. These floated up into the sky and went off in all directions, they faded away at their ends.

"These treads will be with you forever," 'Master' said softy as she looked at him with narrow eyes, "Of course nothing in set in stone. Dreams grow over time and some dreamers lost sight of their dreams; when someone who has a big dream nears you, a colour will glow brightly, but it will be up to you to link up with the person. Understand?"

"So they are mysterious treads." Luffy says with a nod as he saw a colour suddenly move to the opposite side of where it was.

"Yes." 'Master' agrees with him, then that slow evil smile came back."Your next wish is? Or would you like more time to think?"

Luffy pulls his eyes away from the treads and glares hard at the woman, the ten year old started to think once more, he pulled his hat down over his eyes. "Ah! I know!" Luffy shouted and looks up at the woman, who was now hovering on the ceiling, looking down at him. "A hat."

"A hat?" 'Master' asked frowning at him, she points towards him, or rather at his straw-hat, "You already have one, would you not want something a little more grand, such as a castle in the sky? Or a mountain of gold?"

"I want a hat for my brother Ace!" Luffy said grinning madly once more, "_I wish!_ ...for a cowboy style hat with a smile face and a angry face, and a bull's skull on the stringy bit." Luffy remembered Ace reading a magazine he found on a rubbish pile, he really like a hat he show in it, but it would have cost them both an arm and a leg to have.

Luffy clearly pictured that hat in his mind's eyes, and suddenly it was in front of him. His eyes widen at the costly hat being there. Luffy came forwards and took hold of the hat, hugging it to his chest. It was truly there.

"WOW! WOW!" Luffy cries out as he starts jumping around the room, still holding the hat high in the air. "This is _amazing_! SO COOL!"

"Would not the mysterious treads being more amazing?" 'Master' asks in a low voice; the child had gotten more overexcited by the hat than the glowing treads. "Luffy! What about the final wish?"

"Hat! Hat! Hat!" Luffy kept saying as he did a little jig, 'Master' bought her hand to her forehead and began to shake her head in disbelief. She lowed herself to the floor and sat on her heels.

"Your final wish." She says again this time a little more loudly.

The young boy suddenly stop his little jig, and just stared at her with his piercing black eyes. She shifted uncomfortably under this weird gaze.

"What _are_ you? And how can you shine so much?" Luffy at last said, causing the woman to fall forwards in pure shock.

"That is kind of question," 'Master' hissed out holding her aching head, "Is something you should ask just at the very beginning!" Sighing she look up at the boy and decided to answered him. "I am a genie."

"_Shishishishishi_!" Luffy snickers while holding his stomach, and leaning forwards he pointed and laughed, "Are you a moron? genie aren't real! HAHAHA! GA HA! GA HA! GAHAHAHA!"

"The fact that granted those wishes are prove that I am!" 'Master' shouts as she stand with her hand on her hips glaring at the child, finally snapping. "What did you think I was?" Luffy stops laughing and stared at her.

"Stardust." Luffy answers simply with a blank expression

"_Your final wish i_s?" 'Master' hisses through her teeth, waiting for him to say something, 'Anything would be good about now!'

"Some clothes for you." Luffy says while keeping that same black look on his face.

"_What_?!" 'Master' screams at him, she watched he point to her body.

"I just noticed," Luffy said looking at her carefully, "You're butt naked!"

"I am meant to be!" 'Master' shouts, well and truly annoyed now.

"Sure you are." Luffy says titled his head, his face still free of any emotion, "Ace said that a woman should be naked only in front of her husband. Why the _hell_ are you naked?"

"Never mind that, you-" 'Master' began.

"I wish for you to have some clothes on," Luffy said quickly and then grinned as a picture appeared in his mind. The genie suddenly was dressed with the clothes Luffy had in his mind, she stared down in horror, and fell down on her knees in despair, "_Ohhhh_? You bow your head in gratitude. _Shishishi_, no need to thank me."

The genie gritted her teeth hard and stand up, her whole eyes shone red with power. The boy was no longer her master, so her could hurt him now if her wanted.

"_Ohhhhh_~? Guess you're going back now, huh?" Luffy asked as he pointed over to something, "Bye bye _stardust_! _Shishishi_!"

'Master' felt like crying at this point. Her body was breaking up and returning to the jar in dust form. Soon Luffy was standing alone in the tree house, even the jar was missing.

"Ahh!" Luffy cries out suddenly as he remembered something important, something that need to be asked, "I should of asked if she could poo!" he smacked his forehead, "Now I'll never know." He then gazes down at his finger with the many treads and grins madly.

"Luffy! I'm back!" Came Ace's voice from the rope ladder.

"Ohhhh~! _ACE_!" Luffy shouts in joy as he ran over grabbing the orange hat as he went by, and waited for his brother at the top. "I got you something! LOOK!"


End file.
